The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

On Swift Horses with Daniel Minahan and Mary Harron (Ep. 547)

Director Daniel Minahan discusses his new film, On Swift Horses, with fellow Director Mary Harron in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses establishing the 1950s time period while avoiding tropes from other films set in the 50s, utilizing gambling as a metaphor for queerness within the film’s language, and the choreography and rehearsal that went into creating the intimacy scenes.
The film tells the story of Muriel and Lee, who leave their Kansas home to start a family and a new life in San Diego. But their plans are upended by the arrival of Lee’s brother Julius, a wayward gambler with a secret past who draws Muriel down a new and dangerous path.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/events/2025/june2025/onswifthorses_qna_0525

The Last Rodeo with Jon Avnet and Jason Reitman (Ep. 546)

Director Jon Avnet discusses his new film, The Last Rodeo, with fellow Director Jason Reitman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses giving his Actors space to find their characters in emotionally-charged scenes, working with his Cinematographer and Editor to create captivating rodeo action scenes, and the logistics and stunt work that went into the bull riding sequences.
The film tells the story of Joe, a retired rodeo star who enters a high-stakes bull-riding competition to save his grandson. Along the way, he reconciles with his estranged daughter and proves that true courage is found in the fight for family.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/events/2025/june2025/thelastrodeo_qna_0525

Lilly with Rachel Feldman and Amber Sealey (Ep. 545)

Director Rachel Feldman discusses her new film, Lilly, with fellow Director Amber Sealey in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses consulting the real Lilly Ledbetter in order to find the focuses of the film, utilizing archival footage to ground the story alongside the real events, and how her own filmmaking journey aligned with Lilly’s struggles in the film.
Based on the true story of Lilly Ledbetter, the film follows a factory worker who discovers her company has been paying her half of what her male collegues receive. Seeking justice, she begins a long and historic fight for equality spanning all the way to Washington DC.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/events/2025/july2025/lilly_qna_0525

Deaf President Now! with Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim and Ondi Timoner (Ep. 544)

Directors Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim, accompanied by DiMarco’s interpreter Grey Van Pelt, discusses their new film, Deaf President Now!, with fellow Director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they discuss expressing the sensory content of the film with both a Deaf and hearing audience in mind, interviewing subjects in one-on-one dialogues to pull out individual sentiments surrounding the event, and working with a wealth of archival materials to gain an understanding of how the days of protest unfolded.
Screened as part of the DGA’s Documentary Series, the film recounts eight tumultuous days during which students from the world’s only liberal arts school serving the deaf and hard-of-hearing lead an angry protest to change the course of history. When Gallaudet University’s board of trustees appoints a hearing president who doesn’t know American Sign Language over several qualified Deaf candidates, the students take to the streets to speak out.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/events/2025/june2025/docseries_deafpresidentnow-0525

Sinners with Ryan Coogler and Rachel Morrison (Ep. 543)

Director Ryan Coogler discusses his new film, Sinners, with fellow Director Rachel Morrison in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses employing historical consultants to find authenticity in every niche of the film, how he collaborated with Composer and Executive Producer Ludwig Göransson to elevate the film with a distinct musicality, and how he came to the conclusion of using 70mm film to accentuate the sprawling, flat and isolating aspects of the southern setting.
In this fusion of gothic horror and 1930s Mississippi history, the film follows twins Smoke and Stack, who plan to open a new juke joint in their hometown. But as the pieces come together and their opening night begins, they find themselves confronted not only by the dangers of Jim Crow-era southern life but also a lurking undead menace.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/events/2025/june2025/sinners_qna_0525

The Wedding Banquet with Andrew Ahn and Daniel Kwan (Ep. 542)

Director Andrew Ahn discusses his new film, The Wedding Banquet, with fellow Director Daniel Kwan in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses working with the Screenwriter of the original film, updating the story to reflect contemporary LGBTQ+ attitudes while staying faithful to the original plot, and how he and his Actors utilized inventive techniques for discovering their characters on set.
This remake of the 1993 film tells the story of Min, a gay man hoping to stay in the country and avoid being dragged into his family business. Proposing a green card marriage to his lesbian friend Angela, things soon get complicated when his grandmother surprises them with plans for an extravagant Korean wedding banquet.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/events/2025/june2025/theweddingbanquet_qna_0425

Freaky Tales with Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden and Shaz Bennett (Ep. 541)

Directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden discusses their new film, Freaky Tales, with fellow Director Shaz Bennett in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they discuss the real-life events that influenced the stories, using distinct visual styles and camera aspect ratios to differentiate each story chapter, and utilizing real locations and cameos from Oakland-born figures to cement the authenticity of the work.
The film weaves together the seemingly disparate sagas of an NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teenage punks, neo-Nazis and a debt collector as they embark on a collision course in 1987 Oakland, California.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/events/2025/june2025/freakytales_qna_0425

The Accountant 2 with Gavin O’Connor and Dan Gilroy (Ep. 540)

Director Gavin O’Connor discusses his new film, The Accountant 2, with fellow Director Dan Gilroy in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses working with his Actors to find more opportunities for humor, building out the scope of the film to expand on the world within the story, and aiming for an entirely different look and tone to create a fresh experience separate from the first installment.
The film tells the story of Christian Wolff, hired again to use his brilliant mind and highly lethal skillset to solve the puzzling murder of a Treasury Chief. Though a danger in his own right, this time he enlists the help of his equally lethal estranged brother as they uncover a deadly conspiracy full of ruthless killers and buried secrets.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/events/2025/june2025/accountant2_qna_0425

The Friend with Scott McGehee, David Siegel and Gail Mancuso (Ep. 539)

Directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel discusses their new film, The Friend, with fellow Director Gail Mancuso in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they discuss working with Actors Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, the consideration that went into changes from the source material to the film, and working with a dog trainer to achieve emotional performances from their mastiff actor.
The film tells the story of Iris, a solitary writer who inherits a great dane once belonging to a late friend. At first creating problems for Iris, she finds herself unexpectedly bonding with the mastiff, gradually coming to terms with her lost friend and own creative inner life.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/events/2025/june2025/thefriend_qna_0425

Audrey’s Children with Ami Canaan Mann and Brad Silberling (Ep. 538)

Director Ami Canaan Mann discusses her new film, Audrey’s Children, with fellow Director Brad Silberling in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses using specific lenses and mis-en-scene to capture the interior thought process of the main character, working with child Actors in order to capture serious performances, and incorporating soft hints of the romance genre in the relationship between two of her leads to foreshadow their real-life relationship.
The film tells the story of Dr. Audrey Evans, who in 1969 was the first woman to assume the Chief of Oncology title at the world-renowned Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Battling sexism, the subterfuge of her peers and medical conventions of the time, she develops revolutionary treatments and co-founds the first Ronald McDonald House, impacting millions of lives worldwide.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/events/2025/june2025/audreyschildren_qna_0425

The Amateur with James Hawes and Sarah Pirozek (Ep. 537)

Director James Hawes discusses his new film, The Amateur, with fellow Director Sarah Pirozek in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses insisting on the protagonist being geeky, clumsy, charming and smart to reflect his novice, utilizing his camera to capture the main character’s degrading perspective as the story unfolds, and how previously working on the show Black Mirror informed aspects of this film.
The film tells the story of Charlie Heller, a brilliant CIA decoder whose world comes crashing down after his wife dies in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to act due to conflicting internal priorities, he utilizes his intelligence as the ultimate weapon and travels across the globe to hunt down those responsible.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/May2025/The-Amateur_QnA_0425

Novocaine with Dan Berk, Robert Olsen and Drew Hancock (Ep. 536)

Directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen discusses their new film, Novocaine, with fellow Director Drew Hancock in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they discuss taking notes from 80s and 90s action movies to straddle the tonal line between comedy and action, their inspirations for casting Actors Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder in the lead roles, and finding a fighting style for a character not of your typical action hero makeup.
The film tells the story of Nathan Caine, a man born with the rare condition where he is physically incapable of feeling pain. When the girl of his dreams is kidnapped by gun-wielding bank robbers, he turns his rare condition into an unexpected advantage in the fight to rescue her.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/May2025/Novocaine_QnA_0325

Mickey 17 with Bong Joon Ho and Ava DuVernay (Ep. 535)

Director Bong Joon Ho, accompanied by his translator Sharon Choi, discusses his new film, Mickey 17, with fellow Director Ava DuVernay in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how his storyboarding process covered every shot, how he approached having a love story for the first time, and the resonance of the film’s social themes with worldwide audiences.
The film tells the story of Mickey Barnes, an everyman hired by a tyrannical government to work as an “expendable” - a human clone willing to die for one dangerous mission after another. Repeatedly meeting his end for the advancement of space exploration, the 17th Mickey survives a seemingly fatal expedition and comes face to face with a new problem: Mickey 18.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/May2025/Mickey17_QnA_0325

Heart Eyes with Josh Ruben and Zelda Williams (Ep. 534)

Director Josh Ruben discusses his new film, Heart Eyes, with fellow Director Zelda Williams in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses balancing the tone of romantic comedy and horror while not trying to betray them, the behind the scenes of special effects work that went into the kills, and the creation and influences of the killer’s look.
The film follows Ally, a cynical ad executive, and her hopelessly romantic colleague, Jay. After a meeting-turned-date, they accidentally become the next target of “Heart Eyes,” a masked maniac with glowing, red eyes who returns every Valentine's Day to slaughter unsuspecting couples, and must fight for their survival.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/April2025/HeartEyes_QnA_0325

After Hours with Martin Scorsese, Griffin Dunne and Raymond De Felitta (Ep. 533)

In a special Anniversary Series discussion, Director Martin Scorsese discusses his film, After Hours, with Actor Griffin Dunne and fellow Director Raymond De Felitta in a screening at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, Scorsese discusses original concepts for the film’s end, how he aimed to find humor in the film by playing it seriously, and the change in reception as time went on.
The film tells the story of Paul Hackett, an office drone who has a romantic encounter with a girl in a Manhattan café and agrees to visit her Soho apartment. The seemingly simple trip descends into a series of awkward, surreal and life-threatening situations with a colorful cast of characters as Paul spends the rest of the night trying to return uptown.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/April2025/ERSP_AnniversarySeries_AfterHours_0325

Meet the 2025 Nominees for Theatrical Feature Film - Part 2 of 2 (Ep. 532)

Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez), Sean Baker (Anora), Edward Berger (Conclave), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown) engage in a conversation with moderator Jeremy Kagan for the 34th Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Theatrical Feature Film Symposium.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/March2025/MTN_TheatricalFeatureFilm2025

Meet the 2025 Nominees for Theatrical Feature Film - Part 1 of 2 (Ep. 531)

Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez), Sean Baker (Anora), Edward Berger (Conclave), Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) and James Mangold (A Complete Unknown) engage in a conversation with moderator Jeremy Kagan for the 34th Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Theatrical Feature Film Symposium.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/March2025/MTN_TheatricalFeatureFilm2025

Companion with Drew Hancock and Rob Savage (Ep. 530)

Director Drew Hancock discusses his new film, Companion, with fellow Director Rob Savage in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses taking inspiration from grounded dramas instead of modern science fiction, working with Actor Sophie Thatcher to establish the feel of the robot character, and his process of discovering shots with his Actors instead of storyboarding parts of the film.
The film follows Iris and her boyfriend Josh as they go on a weekend getaway to a remote cabin with a group of friends. When it comes to light that Iris is a companion robot, the vacation unravels into chaos as she goes haywire and exacts revenge.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2025/March2025/Companion_QnA_0225

Inheritance with Neil Burger and Sarah Pirozek (Ep. 529)

Director Neil Burger discusses his new film, Inheritance, with fellow Director Sarah Pirozek in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses the technical choices surrounding his decision to shoot the film on an iphone, how he achieved a “stolen” aesthetic by getting authentic hidden shots of his Actors in the real world, and how the blocking and compositional decisions of the film emerged from the limitations imposed by the “stolen” aesthetic.
The film tells the story of Maya, who suddenly finds herself at the center of an international conspiracy when she learns that her father was once a spy. In her quest for answers, Maya becomes a target and must travel the globe, mastering her father’s skills and unraveling the mysteries of the past.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/March2025/Inheritance_QnA_0225

Better Man with Michael Gracey and Jason Reitman (Ep. 528)

Director Michael Gracey discusses his new film, Better Man, with fellow Director Jason Reitman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his intentions behind using a monkey as the lead to tell Williams’ story, his process for conceptualizing scenes that mix fantasy with reality, and the hurdles and successes behind pulling off the Regent Street musical number.
Narrated by Williams, the film follows the singer from childhood outcast to music sensation, battling the demons of fame while finding his true voice as an artist. Soaring to new heights, Williams reaches stardom but never feels truly evolved from his younger self.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2025/February2025/BetterMan_QnA_0125